Submitted by Georgina Class-Peters on the 2015 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and the Department of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management…
Our first day of placements was fun. Even though we got dropped off at the wrong school this morning, it was an opportunity for me to familiarize myself with a Bajan school. At the first school, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Ms.Chapman. She answered all my questions about the school day, lunch, daily activities, and the school system in general. She was so kind to introduce me to her headmaster who openly welcomed me for the short time I was there. I was pleased that all the students who crossed my path took time to acknowledge my presence. They all happily greeted me with a hearty “Good morning Ma’am”! I smiled and returned their greeting. I was shocked that they were so happy and eager to participate in their morning assembly rituals. It faintly reminded me of my Catholic school days, where we had to wear uniforms and attend morning assembly.
When we finally arrive at the correct school, I was shocked by the size of the school. There in the small compound existed the entire school population spanning ages 4-11. Mrs. Lovell, the head mistress, was quite a lovely lady. She asked us our perferance and did her best to accommodate our requests. As she escorted us to the classrooms, I suddenly became nervous. At that moment, I realized that I am actually somewhat responsible for these children and their learning.
The children were overly polite. When Mrs. Lovell walked into the class room, they promptly stood up to recite her greeting. If she was not pleased with their greeting, they would have to do it over. She walked me to class 2 where I found 24 wide- eyed 8-9 year old pupils. After Mrs. Ottley, their teacher, introduced me as ‘Auntie Georgina’ she carried on with her English lesson and they simply stared at me. I could just see their questions all over their faces. I never got a formal introduction from the students. I expected to learn their names, favorite color, and other random facts about them. When she returned to her desk, Mrs. Ottley spoke to me about the students. She was highly concerned with their reading levels and comprehension skills. For students of their age, ideally they should be able to read and write at a good level. She seemed frustrated because of her inability to offer each student the attention they needed.
The layout of the class and school in general, in my opinion, is not conducive to learning. The children have a hard time focusing on their tasks and assignments because of the amount of activity happening at once. The situation reminded me of my tutoring appointment back home in Wilmington.There I work with academically challenged elementary schoolers. I quickly realized that I must build rapport with the children before can they trust me to help them with their work. I realize that this placement will teach me the proper patience needed to interact with children. Although today was a bit of a culture shock for me, I look forward to tomorrow and the days ahead. I really hope to somehow inspire these children to actually focus in class.